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My circumstance and going to Uni!

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Hi,

I am 31, 2 kids (4 and 2) and another due July! I have a partner who stays at home to look after the kids and is disabled. I have been self employed for the last 3 years and have pretty much run at a loss from the off.

I want to go university this year to study for a degree full time (wont be working at all) and am confused what benefits/loans/grants i can get with my circumstances.

Out of the following list could you please advise me what i can and cant get..

Maintenance Loan
Fee Loan
Maintenance Grant
Parents Learning Allowance
Adult Dependant Grant
Access to Learning Fund
Adult Learning Grant
Housing Benefit
Council Tax Benefit


Many Thanks

Matt :confused:

Comments

  • Lokolo
    Lokolo Posts: 20,861 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts
    Have you been to university before and taken out loans? If not:

    Maintenance Loan Yes
    Fee Loan Yes
    Maintenance Grant Depends on Household Income (less than £65k)
    Parents Learning Allowance Not a clue
    Adult Dependant Grant Not a clue
    Access to Learning Fund Not a clue
    Adult Learning Grant Don't think so as its for Level 3 (not higher) - I think
    Housing Benefit Not a clue
    Council Tax Benefit 25% discount on whole house if FT
  • Hi,

    Thanks for the reply. Well my partner wont be earning and neityher will I so i would get the maintenance grant then. ALso would we have to pay 75% of the council tax even though we both arent earning?

    Matt
  • Lokolo
    Lokolo Posts: 20,861 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts
    All I know it students get a 1 person thingy discount of 25% on the house through council tax. Not sure what happens if your partner isn't working.

    I am assuming you're going to uni in England.

    Put info in here and it will give you the basic student loan info:

    http://www.studentfinance.direct.gov.uk/portal/page?_pageid=153,4680089&_dad=portal&_schema=PORTAL
  • Fire_Fox
    Fire_Fox Posts: 26,026 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper Combo Breaker
    Why are you paying council tax at present? What are you actually living on if neither of you are bringing in a wage? Are you getting all the right benefits?
    Declutterbug-in-progress.⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️
  • Hi , we are paying no council tax at the moment and thats why i was suprised to see i would have to pay 75% if i was a student.

    We are currently living on child tax and working tax based on me earning £0 from my self employment.

    TBH im fed up having no money and should really have trained for something when i left school. Thats why i have made the decision to go to university to better myself and try to increase my chances of getting a better well paid job in the future. I just cant do it on nothing with 3 children and 2 adults all needing feeding etc

    Matt
  • BruceyBonus
    BruceyBonus Posts: 1,143 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Combo Breaker
    Call your local council about the council tax benefit. My assumption would be that you would still receive it - but benefits you receive by going to uni may count as income.
  • Oldernotwiser
    Oldernotwiser Posts: 37,425 Forumite
    You should get the Fee Loan, Maintenance Loan, Maintenance Grant, Adult Dependents Grant and (possibly) the Parents Learning Allowance, your husband will get any IB/ESA and DLA that he gets now. You will also get a bursary from the university of at least £300. You may be able to get extra money from the Access to Learning Fund on an ad hoc basis.

    Most (not all) of this money counts as income and will be used to assess your eligibility for Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit. If you have to pay Council Tax there will be a 25% discount from this as you'll be a student. You don't pay this now because you have no income but you will have when you're a student.

    Have a look at www.direct.gov.uk for further information and, if it's still unclear, make an appointment with the university Welfare Officer/Student Services to go through it all; they're usually far more up on the combination of student income and benefits than the JCP are.
  • Fire_Fox
    Fire_Fox Posts: 26,026 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper Combo Breaker
    Hi , we are paying no council tax at the moment and thats why i was suprised to see i would have to pay 75% if i was a student.

    We are currently living on child tax and working tax based on me earning £0 from my self employment.

    TBH im fed up having no money and should really have trained for something when i left school. Thats why i have made the decision to go to university to better myself and try to increase my chances of getting a better well paid job in the future. I just cant do it on nothing with 3 children and 2 adults all needing feeding etc

    Matt

    You must think carefully what course you take - with your goal you need to be thinking about employability/ job prospects. Basically you are expected to take advantage of the full student loan/ grant then benefits are calculated on top, rather than vice versa.
    Declutterbug-in-progress.⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️
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